Multiple-leaf catalogue or file



June 20, 1939. H. D. RALSTON 1-:r AL 2,152,972.

MULTIPLE-LEAF CATALOGUE OR FILE Filed Sept. 19, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a l cvzw amqm Win s.

June 20, 1939. RALSTQN AL 2,162,972-

MULTIPLE-LEAF CATALOGUE 0R FILE Filed Sept. 19, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MM,@MWM /7%0ri2y.s. I

Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE MULTIPLE-LEAF CATALOGUE OR FILE Application September 19, 1938, Serial No. 230,535

23 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of multiple-leaf catalogues or files, and has reference more particularly to an impor-- tant modification in the type of catalogue or file disclosed in the copending application of Hurley D. Ralston and Otto Felix, Serial No. 165,004, filed September 22, 1937, now Patent No. 2,138,848 issued December 6, 1938, which covers the invention broadly. I

in the construction disclosed in said copending application, similarly as herein, a set of catalogue or file leaves is supported in generally upright fashion to project forwardly from a carrying rack so that each individual leaf can be manipulated substantially like the page of a book for inspection of either side thereof by a person seated or standing in front of the file. Such a file is of great value, for example, for use by mail order houses in providing a compact, inexpensive and highly efiicient reference catalogue or file for verifying customers orders, and will make available to the user at convenient arms reach a huge volume of data such as catalogue numbers, description of merchandise, prices, etc.

From time to time it is necessary to revise such a reference file correspondingly with changes in the customers catalogues. To render the leaves of the file shown in the said copending application replaceable they are individually provided with hinges which are removably receivable upon upright, axially spaced and alined pairs of pintles carried by the rack, each pair of pintles hingedly supporting a group of several leaves. In that arrangement each leaf has to be separately handled in mounting it upon the rack, which consumes considerable time where changes are extensive, such as at the time of the usual semi-annual new issue of customers catalogues.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for reducing substantially the time necessary for changing the leaves of a catalogue or file of this type.

Another object is to provide a catalogue or file construction in which the leaves are connected together and can be handled as unitary groups or sections before mounting them upon the supporting structure.

Still another object is to provide improved means for connecting the groups of leaves to the supporting means on the rack in such a manner that each group can be placed upon or removed from the supporting means as a unit and any leaf of the group can be swung substantially like the leaf of a book into position for inspection of either side thereof.

parent in the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rack embodying the features of the invention mounted upon a work table.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the rack with the end rests broken away to avoid obscuring certain details of the structure.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental front elevational View of the rack structure.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a slightly modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view taken substantially along line 'l-'i of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the adapter hangers to be used with the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 to '7, inclusive.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, we have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail certain preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that we do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

By way of illustration, the invention is shown in the drawings as embodied in a loose-leaf catalogue or file including a rack, generally designated groups or sectional units of upright, forwardly projecting replaceable pages or leaves H forming a book-like set of leaves. These leaves may com prise suitably dimensioned manila cards upon which the desired data is printed or otherwise applied. The file may be mounted near the rear edge of the top of a work table i2. Through this arrangement the leaves ii are easily available to one hand of a person seated at the front of the work table and who is writing or otherwise occupying the other hand upon papers lying in the [0, which supports substantially alined substantial working space upon the table top in front of the file.

In one simple form, the rack l6 may include a pair of generally triangular-shaped end members I3 connected together in spaced, parallel alinement in any suitable manner as, for example, by crossed rear connecting bars l4 and by spaced, parallel bars I5 which are mounted one above the other at the front of the end members I3.

According to the present invention, means such as suitable spiral devices I'E' are provided for connecting a plurality of the leaves II together into a group or section which can be handled as a unit prior to and during the action of mounting the leaves upon the rack. This arrangement enables the entire group of leaves to be mounted upon the rack by a single movement, the spiral devices I'i serving not only as connecters for holding the groups of leaves together, but also as the connecting means by which the groupsof leaves are supported upon the rack Ill.

To adapt the leaves I i for receiving the spiral connecters IT, they are provided, as by punching, with identical longitudinal series of spaced holes I8 adjacent to and parallel with a selected edge thereof, herein the rear edge. The on-center spacing of these holes corresponds to the spacing of the loops of the spiral connecters if so that the latter can be quickly threaded onto the groups of leaves. Such threading of each connecter I? is accomplished by alining the leaves II of a group in face-to-face relationshipwith the holes 53 in register and passing the leading end of the respective connecter into the first or outermost of the series of apertures. Then upon rotating the con necter the leading end will successively pass through each hole of the series until the connector is fully threaded onto the group of leaves. In practice up to twenty leaves have been thus connected together.

In some instances a single connecter ll of suitable length may sufiice for each group of the leaves II. However, where the leaves II are relatively large a better balance and distribution of weight when mounted upon the rack will be had by equipping each group of leaves with a pair of connecters I'l, one connecter adjacent to each end of the punched edge thereof. When thus equipped, the groups of leaves I I can be mounted easily and quickly upon the front of the rack If), the front bars I5 being provided for this purpose with means to receive the spiral connecters ll. Such connecter-receiving means may comprise upon each of the bars I5 a uniformly spaced series of hook-like hangers I9.

Each of the hangers I9 has an elongated upstanding finger 20 to extend in an axial direction into the spiral connecter I? which is fitted thereover by a downward movement of the associated leaf section. As may be seen clearly in Figs. 2 and 4, the fingers 26 of the hangers are axially spaced and substantially alined so that both the upper and lower connecters IT can be hooked onto the rack in the same movement. Furthermore, these fingers are preferably of generally arcuate shape to conform to the inner curvature of the spiral connecters I! so as to serve asfractional pintles about which the connecters may rotate (Fig. 3). The width of the fingers 28 is as narrow as possible consistent with the necessary strength so as to avoid interference with the adjacent rear edges of the leaves when the leaves are individually swung on the connecters I'I. Good results can be obtained where the fingers 20 are formed of a width about one-fourth that of the internal circumference of the connecters I I. Moreover, the hanger fingers 20 may project from the lower edges of the bars 2|, as shown, so that the bars provide backings which are in suificient limited spaced relation to the inner faces of the respective hanger fingers to receive the annular loops of the connecters I! fairly closely but releasably therebetween. Through this arrangement the bars 2| will serve as abutments to hold the received portions of the connecters against moving back from the hanger fingers 20 under the weight of the associated leaves. Thus, the area within the connecters I'i forwardly of the hanger fingers 20 will be maintained relatively unobstructed and permit free swinging of the individual leaves from side to side thereon.

Provision is preferably made for gauging the spacing of the pair of connecters ll of each group of leaves II to conform to the spacing between the alined upper and lower hangers ll so that the weight of the leaves will be borne substantially equally by both of the hangers that support each leaf group.

To this end the series of apertures I8 of each leaf is separated into two parts by an intervening imperforate portion of the leaf to have just the proper number of holes I8 from the top and bottom ends of the rear edge of the leaf to properly limit the inner distance to which the spiral connecters I! can be threaded. Thus, the inner threaded limits of the connecters of each group are reached when the leading ends thereof engage the intervening imperforate portions of the respective outer leaves I I of the group.

It will be observed from Fig. 1 that after the rack has been loaded with the connected leaf groups the general effect of the multiple-group set of leaves thus produced is that of a large book in which each leaf can be swung from side to side for inspection of either face thereof from the front of the rack. In this connection, the gauged spacing of the connecters i1 results in maintaining the hung leaf groups in substantially uniform alinement with each other.

To avoid having any of the leaf groups mounted in inverted relationship, suitable identifying means may be provided. Herein, the two separated parts of the series of holes [8 are made unequal so that either of these unequal parts can be selected to be at the top of the leaves when hung upon the rack. Thus, where the part of the series which has the greatest number of holes is to be at the top, then the upper parts of the leaves will project further above the top bar I5 of the supporting rack than the lower H parts of the leaves will project below the lower bar I5, and if there has been a reversal it will become at once apparent.

Preferably the rack I is so constructed that the rear edges of the hung leaf groups will be rearwardly inclined to shift the center of gravity rearwardly, whereby the leaves II will have a tendency to swing gravitationally to either side of a true vertical plane. This simplifies manipulation and positioning of the leaves for examination of their data contents. As shown, this inclined relationship is effected by having the hanger bars I in a rearwardly inclined plane. However, the extent to which the leaves I! may swing to either side is'preferably limited by suitable means such as generally forwardly projecting diagonal extensions 21 at the ends of the bars I5. These extensions serve as rests for engaging the outermost or end leaf groups and will thus hold the entire set of leaves in generally forwardly projecting relationship. a

In order to adapt a pintel-carrying rack 22 (Fig. 5) of the kind disclosed in the aforesaid copending application for use with the leaf connecters ii, an adapter hanger 23 (Fig. 8) may be provided. This adapter hanger 23 has a generally U-shaped base 24 which is adapted to engage either of a pair of horizontal, spaced rack bars 25 upon the rack which have rows of pintles 21 anchored in the upper faces thereof. One or more apertures 28 in the base 2% will receive a corresponding number of the pintles .27 therethrough and hold the hanger against movement longitudinally of the associated bar 25. As may be seen in Fig. 6, a plurality of the hangers 23 may be mounted upon each of the bars 25 in uniformly spaced relationship. I

Each of the hangers 23 has a hanger hook portion 29 provided with an elongated upstanding finger or connecter-receiving pintle 39 of generally transversely arcuate shape to receive the connecters H in the manner hereinbefore described in connection with the hangers i9. Preferably, the hook portion 29 is so proportioned that while it will freely receive the lowermost coil of the respective associated connecter ll, such con necter will be held forwardly with respect to the finger 38 to preserve the greatest possible clearance for movement of the adjacent rear edges of the connected leaves when the latter are swung upon the connecter. Through this arrangement the rack 22 may be utilized interchangeably either for supporting individually hinged catalogue leaves or sectionally connected leaves.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention provides a loose-leaf catalogue or file construction of unusual efficiency in many rcspects. As to capacity and ease of use, a file of this type is, of course, unique. Herein a substantial improvement has been taught for increasing the speed with which loading and unloading of the leaves may be accomplished. Moreover, the construction can be produced at a low initial cost and the upkeep cost aside from the leaves is negligible because the leaf supporting structure including the connectors for the leaf groups can be reused indefinitely if reasonable care is exercised in their handling.

We claim as'our invention 7 1. An upright catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a plurality of groups of leaves, a leaf-supporting rack structure adapted to be mounted upon a work table or the like and including means adapted for supporting each group of leaves as a unit in generally upright forwardly projecting relation at the front of the rack structure, and means for removably connecting said group of leaves to their respective supporting means in general alinement to form a multiple-group set of leaves, said connecting means being so constructed that each group can be placed upon or removed from the supporting means as a unit and any leaf of the set can be swung substantially like the page of a book into position for the inspection of either face thereof from the front of the rack.

2. A multiple-leaf catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, means adapted for supporting a plurality of looseleaves in generally upright forwardly projecting relationship, and annular connecters for pivotally connecting the leaves to said supporting means removably by groups, said connecters holding the groups of leaves together as units and being so constructed that each unitary group can be placed upon the supporting means in a single movement.

3. An upright catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a plurality of groups of leaves, a leaf-supporting rack structure adapted to be mounted upon a work table or the like and including a pair of spaced horizontal bars, a plurality of hangers supported by said bars and having upstanding fingers, the fingers of the hangers upon the respective bars being in generally axial alinement, and connecters for said groups of leaves adapted to be received by said fingers for support by said hangers.

4. An upright catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a plurality of leaves, a pair of connecters for said leaves in engagement therewith adjacent to the opposite ends of one edge thereof, and supporting means for the group of leaves including a pair of hook-like hangers in spaced alinement one above the other and extending in the same general direction for receiving said connecters by a downward movement for holding the leaves in generally upright forwardly projecting relation.

5. An upright catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a plurality of leaves, a pair of connecters for said leaves in engagement therewith adjacent to the opposite ends of one edge thereof, supporting means for the group of leaves includinga pair of hook-like hangers in spaced alinement one above the other for receiving said connecters for holding the leaves in generally upright forwardly projecting relation, and rests for holding the CIO leaves in generally forwardly projecting relation when the group is swung to the side of said hangers.

6. A catalogue or file construction of the character described comprising, in combination, a group of loose-leaves, a pair of spiral conneoters threaded upon said group of leaves in axial alinement adjacent to opposite ends of one edge of the leaves, and a supporting structure for said group of leaves including means to receive said connecters simultaneously by a relative movement of said means and said connecters in one direction.

7. A catalogue or file construction of the character described comprising, in combination, a group of file leaves, means movably attached to said leaves for connecting said leaves together as a unit in which each leaf can be swung individually from side to side relative to said connecting means, and means for engaging said connecting means pivotally so that the group of leaves can be swung as a unit from side to side,

said connecting means and said engaging means being adapted to be assembled by a single relative assembly movement.

8. A catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a group of leaves, a spiral connecter for said group of leaves, and means for supporting the group of leaves including a member to enter the spiral connecter, said member being of generally arcuate shape to conform to the internal radius of the spiral connecter soas to serve as a pintle permitting rotary movement of the connecter relative thereto.

9. A hanger for use in a catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a hook-like supporting portion and a finger projecting upwardly therefrom to receive an annular connecter, said finger being generally arcuate transversely to conform to the internal radius of the connecter so that the latter may rotate thereon.

10. An upright catalogue or file ofthe character described comprising, in combination, a group of leaves, a spiral connecter for said group of leaves, a supporting rack having a horizontal bar including a plurality of upright elements thereon, and a hanger including a base adapted to receive said upright elements and engage said bar, said hanger being adapted to engage said connecter for supporting the group of leaves upon the rack.

11. An adapter hanger for use in a catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a generally U-shaped base portion for engaging asupporting bar, and a hook portion including an upstanding finger to engage a connecter for a group of leaves to be supported by the rack.

12. A multiple-leaf catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a supporting structure including a pair of spaced hangers mounted in alinement one above the other, a group of leaves having their rear mar gins perforated with registering uniformly spaced series of holes extending inwardly from the top and bottom edges of the leaves adjacent to and parallel with the rear edges thereof, each of said series of holes being divided into two parts by'an intervening imperforate leaf portion, and a pair of spiral connecters threaded into said holes from the respective opposite ends of said rear edge and having their leading ends in engagement with said imperforate portions on'respectively opposite sides of the group of leaves, said imperforate portions being so dimensioned'with respect to the spacing between said hangers and the lengths of said connecters that the connecters will engage their respective hangers equally and the weight of the group of leaves will be substantially evenly distributed to both hangers.

13. A multiple-leaf catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a plurality of leaves which are adapted to be mounted with certain edges at the top when in use, means adapted for supporting the leaves in generally upright relationship, means for connecting the leaves to said supporting means removably, and means for assuring detection of leaves that may be accidentally mounted in inverted relation to other leaves.

14. A multi-leaf section adapted to be mounted upon a catalogue or file supporting structure comprising, in combination, a group of leaves, a pair of similar spiral connecters for holding the group of leaves together, and a series of uniformly spaced holes formed in adjacent parallel relation to a selected edge of the group of leaves and having an intervening imperforate portion separating opposite parts of the series respectively located adjacent to the ends of said edge, I

one of said parts of the series having a larger number of holes whereby to identify the associated end of the group of leaves for proper positioning thereof upon the supporting structure. 7

15. A leaf assembly adapted to be mounted upon a supporting structure comprising, in combination, a plurality of leaves having holes in discontinuous longitudinal series adjacent to one edge separated by an intervening imperforate portion of the leaf, and a pair of axially spaced .spiral connecters respectively threaded through said holes at opposite ends of said intervening imperforate portion and serving to hold the leaves together, said intervening imperforate portion limiting the endwise approach of said connecters toward one another upon assembly thereof with the group of leaves.

16. A multiple-leaf catalogue or file comprising, in combination, a group of leaves adapted to be mounted in a generally upright plane including means for connecting all of the leaves together swingably to be handled as a unit, said means having relatively yieldable portions thereof projecting beyond the rear edges of said leaves at longitudinally spaced locations, and a generally upright supporting structure for said group of leaves including members in spaced relation one above the'other for engagement with said projecting portions of the leaf-connecting means, the spaced location of the portions of said connecting means which engage said supporting members being substantially complementally related to the spacing of said members so that the weight of said group of leaves will be carried substantially equally by said members.

17. A loose-leaf device comprising, in combination, a generally upright supporting structure having an alined pair of upwardly projecting members spaced apart one above the other, and a group of leaves swingably connected together at their rear edges to be handled as a unit and having means adjacent to the upper and lower ends of said edges to receive said hangers therein so as to position the group of leaves to project forwardly from said supporting structure for manipulation to swing selected individual leaves of the group into position for inspection of either of the faces thereof.

18. A multi-leaf device comprising, in combination, a group of leaves, means for securing said group of leaves together to be handled as a unit but permitting the leaves to be swung readily from side to side relative to each other and in cluding a pair of spaced connecters respectively located movably near the opposite ends of one edge of the group of leaves, and a carrying structure for said group of leaves including a pair of spaced and alined members adapted for assembly with said connecters by a relative movement in one direction with respect to said edge.

19. A multiple-leaf structure comprising, in combination, a plurality of leaves having a pair of axially spaced spiral members threaded thereon along one edge to connect the leaves into a unitary group, and means for supporting the group of leaves including a pair of elongated members located in substantially axially alined spaced relation and extending in generally the same direction to receive the respective spiral members thereon simultaneously by a common longitudinal movement.

20. An upright catalogue or file of the character described comprising, in combination, a plurality of groups of leaves, a leaf supporting rack structure adapted to be mounted upon a work table or the like and including upper and lower rows of generally upright members adapted for supporting each group of leaves as a unit in forwardly projecting upright relation at the front of the rack structure, upper and lower spiral connecting elements threaded upon one edge of each of said groups of leaves for connecting the same to their respective selected upper and lower supporting members in general alinement to form a multiple-group set of leaves, said spiral connecting elements being adapted to receive said upright members therein so that each group can be placed upon or removed from the supporting members as a unit and any leaf of the set can be swung substantially like the page of a book into position for inspection of either face thereof from the front of the rack.

21. A group of loose-leaves having parallel with and adjacent to one edge thereof a series of uniformly spaced holes the extremities of which are adjacent to the opposite ends of said edge, an intervening imperforate area separating said series of holes into two parts, means including a pair of engagement members located in spaced generally longitudinal alinement, and a pair of elongated spiral connecters having the loops thereof spaced to conform with the spacing of said holes so that the connecters can be threaded onto the groups of leaves by engaging the leading ends thereof into the first hole of the respectively opposite ends of the series and thereafter imparting a rotary threading motion to the connecters until their leading ends contact the intervening imperforate leaf portion, the lengths of said spiral connecters being proportioned with respect to the spacing of said engagement members for engaging the latter substantially equally after the connecters have been fully threaded onto said leaves into the respective positions defined by the engagement of the leading ends thereof with said imperforate portion.

22. A swinging leaf structure of the character described comprising, in combination, a group of leaves having perforations along one edge, annular connecting means passing movably through said perforations and having a portion extenda ing beyond said one edge, a support for said group of leaves including means projecting into said annular connecting means, and means in limited spaced relation to and cooperating with said projecting means to hold the extending portion of said connecting means releasably therebetween and against substantial movement backwardly away from said projecting means, said projecting means being dimensioned to occupy only a limited part of the area within said connecting means and permitting free swinging of the leaves.

23. A swinging leaf structure of the character described comprising, in combination, a group of leaves, an annular connecting member movably attached to one edge of said group of leaves and having a portion extending beyond said one edge, a support for said group of leaves including a' hanger having an upstanding finger to enter said annular connecting means, and means in spaced relation to said finger providing a backing to hold the engaged portion of said connecting means against movement away from said finger so that said finger will not advance beyond a predetermined point toward said one edge.

HURIJJY D. RALSTON. PROCTOR. J. GILBERT. 

